Jak
Jak (birthname being Mar) is one of the main characters in the Jak and Daxter series, being a title and playable character in all games in the series (with the exception of Daxter (game)). From his debut in Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, he has undergone many changes in his body - both internal and external - and matured into a fully grown man, with a constant thirst for some action. He is the character the player controls the most throughout the series. It is interesting to note that, unlike his sidekick Daxter, he is the only major character not to have a major role in all of the games. History At the end of Jak II, Young Jak, and Young Samos (The Shadow), leave through the Rift Gate to the past Haven City (more specifically Dead Town), which 400 years previously was Sandover Village. This was where Jak grew up until his teenage years and where Samos Hagai grew to be an old wise sage of Green Eco. Jak was assumed to be raised by the Explorer, and at some point between the time traveling and TPL, he became friends with Daxter. The duo ended up on many dangerous adventures, the only one seriously elaborated upon being the last, in which Daxter became an Ottsel and thus set off the events of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. ''The Precursor Legacy'' In TPL Jak gets Daxter into a mess of orange fur, and hair balls. He then spends the rest of the game trying to gain enough Power Cells to make their way to Gol & Maia's Citadel, so they can change the little talking orange rodent known as an Ottsel back to normal. Jak and the gang later (while at the Red Sage's hut) find out that Gol Acheron and his sister, Maia, are the evil duo that have been setting off Lurkers and trying to consume the world in Dark Eco. Jak then goes on to fight the duo in their Precursor Robot. Near the end of their battle Jak discovers Light Eco, which can change Daxter back or Defeat Gol and Maia and save the world. They choose to save the world. After the battle, Jak opens the ancient Precursor Door at the top of the citadel, and discovers the Rift Gate and Rift Rider behind it. ''Jak II'' Between the end of The Precursor Legacy and the start of Jak II, Jak, Keira, Daxter and Samos moved the Rift Rider and the Rift Gate back to Sandover Village, where they activated both and traveled to Haven City. There, Jak was captured by Erol, the commander of the Krimzon Guard, on behalf of Baron Praxis. Over the next two years, Jak was injected with Dark Eco under the Dark Warrior Program in an attempt to create a super soldier capable of turning the tide against the Metal Heads attacking Haven City. Rescued by Daxter before he could be executed, Jak vowed revenge on the Baron and devoted himself to bringing down Haven's leader using whatever means necessary. Over the course of the game, Jak works for a variety of characters, including The Underground, a resistance movement against the Baron; Krew, a smuggler and crime lord; Onin, a seer found in the Bazaar; and Brutter, a Lurker who runs a Fish Cannery. It was eventually revealed that Haven City is the future of Jak's world, and that he was in fact the heir to the city. After defeating Metal Kor, Jak's younger self was sent back in time to grow up safely under Samos's eye. ''Daxter'' Though Jak only appears minimal times in Daxter, it is Daxter's ultimate goal to free his friend from prison. Jak 3 Soon after the end of Jak II, a war erupted in Haven's streets. Surviving Metal Heads and KG Death Bots battled the Freedom League for control of the city, ruining most of it in the process. The Haven City Council declared Jak responsible for the conflict and banished him to the Wasteland, where he was rescued by Damas and taken to Spargus City. Throughout the game, Jak is sent on dangerous missions to gain the trust and respect of the people of Spargus and their king (Damas) and eventually makes it back to Haven City , accepting missions from many different characters as the war in Haven escalates and other threats appear. Cyber Errol was revealed to be the mastermind behind the KG Death Bots, but the greater threat was from the incoming Dark Maker Ship, which Errol seeks to control in order to destroy the planet In order to destroy the ship, Jak tries to activate the Planetary Defence System by accessing the Catacombs under the ruins of the Mar Memorial Stadium. Damas answered Jak's call for help, but was crushed under their vehicle when a blast overturned it, inadvertently revealing that he was Jak's father as he died. Jak continued through the Catacombs, activating the Planetary Defense System and traveling to the Dark Maker Ship to stop Cyber Errol, who escaped in a Terraformer before the ship was destroyed. Returning to the planet's surface, Jak defeated Errol and his Terraformer. The Precursors, revealed to be ottsels, asked him to come with them to protect the universe. He apparently turned down this offer, claiming that Daxter wouldn't last a second without him (although it is possible that Jak did help the Precursors out and after he wasn't required, they sent him back to his world at the same point he left; the Precursors are capable of time travel). It is also revealed that Jak's birth name was in fact Mar leaving gamers to speculate on whether Jak is the actual "Mar" who built Haven city, or if he is just of the same lineage and named after the famous figure. Jak X: Combat Racing Jak travels to Kras City with Ashelin, Torn, Samos, Keira and Daxter in order to attend a reading of Krew's will. Poisoned along with the rest of his friends and Rayn, Krew's daughter, Jak is forced to race in the Kras City Grand Championship in order to win the antidote. When he finally triumphs in the final race, the antidote is stolen by Mizo, forcing him to chase and defeat the crime lord to retrieve it. The Lost Frontier During The Lost Frontier, Jak accompanies Keira on her quest to become an Eco Sage. Despite not being able to transform into either Dark or Light Jak upon reaching The Brink, he is able to defeat Duke Skyheed and the ACS Behemoth, restoring power to the Eco Core and ending the worldwide Eco shortage. Biography Personality Jak evolves drastically as a character over the course of the series. During The Precursor Legacy, he is presented as brave and curious, willing to throw himself into dangerous situations. In Jak II, after being subjected to Dark Eco treatments for two years at the hands of Baron Praxis, revenge is his main motive, and he has become angry and reckless - this is only exacerbated by the presence of the Dark Eco in his system. He also takes some enjoyment in killing Metal Heads and a fondness for guns. Nonetheless, Jak does retain some heroic personality traits. Jak 3, which sees him gain Light Eco powers to balance the Dark Eco, sees him become less angry and more mature; this was almost certainly aided by the death of his father. Jak X shows him has having relaxed somewhat (due to the balancing effect of Light Eco), though this final encounter with Mizo shows that the anger still exists under the calmer exterior. In TLF, he seems to be more carefree and happy. Despite some scenes hinting his anger (i.e. when he tries to turn to Dark Jak, seeing the Dark Warrior Program chair, etc.) he seems to be more cheerful, particularly around the time he finds out about Dark Daxter, and more like his old self from TPL. Appearance Jak's appearance varies over the course of the series; however, his outfits maintained the basic pattern of blue shirt and beige pants until Jak X. The armor on his left shoulder has remained in every game: presumably, this protects him from Daxter's claws. He has also worn his goggles in every game. He also has a metallic ring strapped to his chest, which remains here for all of the games excluding Jak X: Combat Racing. The most noticeable change in Jak's appearance from game to game is often his hair, which has ranged from spiky to long to short and rough. Another change from Jak II to Jak 3 is his Dark Jak form, in Jak II he has horns, but he doesn't in Jak 3, due to his new Light Jak form. Romantic Interests Throughout the series Jak has only 2 romantic interests, although one is more common than the other. Keira is the most common romantic interest throughout the series. Right from the opening sequence of TPL they obviously have feelings for each other, as Keira calls him a "brave adventurer" and Jak blushes. These small things continue right through TPL until the end where they lean in to a kiss but Daxter interrupts them. At the very start of Jak II they have a small bit of back and forth but get separated through the rift gate. Keira becomes a race mechanic who is hidden by a curtain and as only Jak talks to her she does not realize it is them. Jak attempts to flirt with "the mechanic" but she tells them to go away. Later Daxter talks and Keira recognizes his voice and realizes its them. When Ashelin is around, Keira calls herself "Jak's very good friend."She and Jak have an argument about Keira thinking Erol is a good racer and Jak working with Krew. Things remain awkward for a short time but they make up. At the end of Jak II they again lean into a kiss but again Daxter interrupts. They flirt outwardly throughout Jak X and at the end for the third time they lean in to a kiss but this time Daxter interrupts and says "Will you kiss her already?" Keira pulls Jak into a kiss. They do not appear to have an outward relationship in TLF but they obviously care about each other still as Jak is protective when Phoenix flirts and at one time given the choice Keira chooses Jak's opinion over Phoenix's. At the end they kiss again and plan to go over the brink together. During Jak II Jak's 2nd love interest forms. Ashelin, the Baron's daughter is helped twice by Jak and then appears to have an interest in Jak. Jak does not appear to have one back but Keira gets protective at one point and obviously does not like the fact that Ashelin is interested in Jak. During Jak 3 Ashlein does not try to hide how much she wants Jak back in the city and how sorry she was he was forced to leave. At the end of Jak 3 they have an offscreen passionate moment but they obviously do not share this fact for they are both still in their relationships in Jak X: Combat Racing. In Jak X: Combat Racing they no longer appear to be in a romantic state, and Jak kisses Keira at the end. But from Jak 3 onwards, Torn and Ashelin look like they might be interested in each other, but their hard ways hide it. In Jak X it becomes more apparent. Abilities Jak's primary ability is his ability to channel various kinds of Eco, which is used to great effect in The Precursor Legacy. Jak II saw him gain the ability to transform into Dark Jak due to the two years of Dark Eco experimentations performed on him at the hands of Baron Praxis. In Jak 3, he was granted Light Eco powers by the Precursors, allowing him to transform into Light Jak and balancing the destructive influence of the Dark Eco already in his system. In Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier, Jak gains multiple eco powers from special Precursor Idols and can also purchase powers from Keira using Dark Eco. Jak is also a skilled racer, and races often features as prominent plot points in the series. Equipment Extra equipment is not seen in The Precursor Legacy; it was in Jak II, when Jak acquires the Morph Gun, that the games began to feature extra equipment. The Morph Gun is also seen in Jak 3; however, it is replaced by the Gunstaff in The Lost Frontier. The Titan Suit, and its derivative, the Dark Maker Bot are used in Jak II and Jak 3, respectively. During Jak II, you receive a jet board from Keira. The jet board is also used in Jak 3. During Jak 3, you collect pieces of Mar's Armor. Notes Though Jak does not speak in The Precursor Legacy, there are several scenes in which Jak appears that he is going to say something before he is cut off, usually by Daxter. If he gets hurt he will sometimes say "Ouch!". He is even heard uttering battle cries, so he isn't actually mute, he simply doesn't talk. Trivia * Jak appeared as an unlockable skin in Ratchet: Deadlocked. * Jak appeared in Hot shot's'' Golf 4'' as a character with Daxter as his caddy. * In the familiar series Ratchet and Clank, many of the billboards would have pictures of Jak and Daxter, and Ratchet's Holovision in Endanko appears with Jak and Daxter on it. * Ratchet and Clank are featured on a billboard in the Racing Section of Haven in Jak II. this is the most prominent of the Ratchet "easter eggs" * Jak is seen in Daxter in the back of a prison vehicle, over the security cameras, and at the end of the game. * It is unsure as of the moment whether or not this advertisement is officially made by Naughty Dog, but Jak also "sponsors" Levi Jeans in a CG render for Jak X: Combat Racing * In Jak 3 and Jak II, if you walk up to the mirror that is cracked in The Naughty Ottsel, Jak's reflection will have Dark Jak horns. * In TPL they never show or talk about where Jak and Daxter live. * Jak and Daxter are to appear in a future game entitled; "Heroes on the Move." with other PlayStation icons like Ratchet, Clank, Sly Cooper, and Bentley. * Jak, in himself, is a time paradox and should not exist. * When hitting, his fist and foot increase in size during the gameplay. * Jak is roughly 6 feet tall in size comparison to Daxter, who is self proclaimed to be "two feet tall, fuzzy, and running around in a sewer without a pair of pants." * Jak is also the second shortest human male (actually, he's the second shortest human character) in the entire Jak and Daxter series, the first being Samos. * According to evidence from all three series, Jak is the only main protagonist from the so-called "PS2 platformer trio" to not bear a striking resemblance to his father. Category:Characters